Bella's Death
by pamala77
Summary: This is what would have happened if Victoria had gotten her revenge that day in the clearing. It picks up durring the fight with Seth and Edward in Eclipse. Warning! Very sad!


Bella's Death

I watched as Victoria leaned toward the forest, toward safety. She would have fled if her only goal hadn't been so close, so vulnerable, so within her reach. I was the only thing keeping her from getting to Bella. I remained in Victoria's mind, but listened to Seth's fight with Riley in the forest. He was doing well, but I was to face Victoria alone now. It didn't matter. I wanted to be the one to kill her. Those gruesome, terrible plans she had for Bella ran through my head and urged me forward, to attack. Her mind was wild, debating. Should she try to attack and get to Bella, or run and return, prolonging her vengeance. Her mind was flying through the options trying to pick the one that would end with Bella's certain death. Now or Later. But I knew she would not get past me. I knew she had no hope of getting by without my knowing her plans. I knew I would stop her, today. I would end Bella's fear that held her hostage. I smiled at the thought of ripping Victoria apart and making Bella safe again.

"Don't go Victoria," I said in my calm voice, "you'll never get another chance like this." She barred her white, murderous teeth and hissed at me. Her thoughts still revolving around the possibilities. "You can always run later," I added, trying to coax her back into the fight, "it's what you do, isn't it? It's why James kept you around. Useful if you like to play deadly games. A partner with an uncanny instinct for escaping." Her thoughts encircled James now, and I knew I had struck a nerve. "He shouldn't have left you. He could have used your skills when we caught up to him in Phoenix." She snarled at me with nothing but hate flowing through her. I plunged deeper, trying to push her over the edge of sanity, just for a moment. Then I could take her. "That's all you ever were to him though. Silly to waist so much energy avenging someone who had less affection for you than a hunter for his mount. You were never more than a convenience to him. I would know." My smile widened as a tapped my head, assuring her that I had seen it in his mind and that these were his thoughts.

She snarled and jumped to one side, swaying in her awkward body that was obviously lacking where I had attacked her. I kept even with her, never letting her within range of Bella. Just then I heard a sharp crack. Riley had beaten in Seth's flank and cracked on e of the bones. He yelped and I let my eyes dart away for almost half a second to asses his situation. Victoria saw her chance and lunged with all the strength she had. It only took seconds, but it felt like hours.

I turned to catch her and toss her into the trees, but she wasn't aiming for me. No, I was never her goal. She had blown within millimeters of me and strait to Bella. I flung my hand out to grab her, but missed. I hadn't known her to be capable of this speed before and had underestimated her greatly. I had turned completely now and watched in horror as she leaned over Bella and raised her clawed hand above her head. I tried to move and attack her, but she was too quick, even for me. I looked into Bella's horrified eyes and my dead heart felt like it had cracked down the center. I looked into Victoria's mind and saw her intentions as they happened. She plummeted her hand down and into Bella's chest, forcing it's way in and around her heart. I stared in horror and cringed as the cracks from her braking ribs rang in my ears. I stared in shock as Bella's arms shook and her blood began to glisten through her shirt and coat. I looked into Victoria's mind and saw what she was doing. She had Bella's now furiously pounding heart in her palm, her long fingers caging it, ready to puncture it at her will. Bella screamed in agony the first time not as loud as the second. She was suffering. She kept screaming and Victoria turned to me, smiling widely at the pain on my face. She took her thumb and caressed Bella's heart forcing it to beat slower and more labored. I forced myself to take a step. Willed my body to begin an attack on the one who causing Bella this terrible pain. Pain that I had never seen on her face before. Pain that I knew would be the end of her if I did nothing.

What came next seemed to come in slow motion. I took a step trying to summon my greatest speed. I knew if I could get Victoria away and her hand out of Bella's frail body, I could save her later. I moved as fast as I could, but not fast enough. Victoria saw the intent on my face and smiled even wider as she let her hand contract and lightly squeeze. I listened to Bella's heart trying to thud, but having no space in the vice of claws, to beat. She tried to suck in a breath but couldn't seem to get enough air. Then Victoria put more force into it. My own heart seemed to wrench itself into pieces as I heard the faint plop as Bella's heart burst under the pressure. She shuddered and went limp. I saw her lips move and realized she was mouthing my name in a whisper not even I could hear. Then she was gone.

Victoria released her grip and yanked her bloody arm away, letting Bella's cold lifeless body drop to the ground with a thud. I couldn't force myself to move. I just stared into Bella's soulless eyes and watched the color slowly fade from every part of her. Her beautiful face, no longer rosy and pink, still held that terrified and pained look. Her blood poured out of her and I could smell it. I felt no thirst for it, no desire to have it. I merely was in total shock. My legs gave out and I let myself fall to the ground, never taking my eyes off of her. I came down on hands and knees and dragged myself to her unmoving corpse. I felt nothing but shear agony as I came around her and lifted her into my lap, cradling her head. I took in a breath, the air stained with the smell of her blood. My breaths were shallow and shaky. My hand shook as I moved a strand of her perfect brown hair from her delicate face. I managed to mouth her name and somewhere along the line realized I was screaming it between sobs. I pulled her body close to me and held her tight in my arms. I cradled her and closed my eyes, trying to remember all of the times I had treasured with her. All of the times I had been with her, been near her. The times I had kept her safe, the times that I knew she truly loved me back. Any of the times that would make me forget any of this. All of the voices had faded and I heard no one's thoughts. Bella and I were the only ones in my thoughts.

Only one sound was able to pull me from my trance. A small, victorious laugh chimed behind me. My eyes shot open and my fury boiled over my grief. Victoria had succeeded. She had done this to get her revenge and make me feel as she had felt. But she knew no pain like this. I saw it in her thoughts. She did love James, but not anywhere near as muck as I had treasured Bella. She would pay for this. She would burn. Today. I let my anger consume me, let it fill every fiber of my being with nothing but shredding tearing rage. I carefully laid Bella's body down and closed her eyes. I knew the sight of her terrified, soulless, chocolate-brown eyes would only strengthen the pain I felt now. I stood, and turned to face Victoria. She was standing right in the same spot, smiling viciously. I watched as she maniacally licked at her hand still covered in Bella's blood. That pushed me over the edge. With speed I never new I had, I lunged at her and ripped her bloodied arm off. She stared in shock, not expecting me to react so quickly, and cringed. I snarled from deep in my throat and let the anger consume as much of me as it could. Before she could so much as blink I came at her again, tearing any part of her that I touched. I ripped her other arm off and then her head. It only took seconds. I piled the pieces and set them up in flames with my lighter. I grabbed any nearby kindling and branches to through on the pile. I stopped when I knew she was all there, burning and dying. My senses started to come back and I tried to proses all that had happened.

I was shaken a little when something was added to the pile. I turned and stared at it, then at the tosser. Seth was tossing pieces of the now vanquished Riley onto the fire. I searched his mind. He had no idea what had happened. He had been too focused on Riley. He continued to get any pieces lying around and tossed them into the blaze with the others. I let him finish up and turned back to Bella. Her corpse still lying on the cold ground. I walked over to her, my legs not allowing me to move any faster than if I was human. I finally reached her and once again collapsed next to her. I lifted her into my arms and held her as close as I could. I knew she was gone. Victoria had planned it perfectly. The only way to kill her where even my venom couldn't heal her. No amount of help could help her. She was gone. My perfect angel, who had the sick, desire to love someone like me, a vampire, was gone. I had promised her she would be safe. And now she was dead. The sobs took me again and I heard Seth behind me. My mind automatically connected with his. I saw his realization of what had happened and the sadness that filled him. Then it intensified as his thoughts and sight mingled with the other wolves. I could feel the pain of one wolf in particular. The only one who could possibly share any part of my pain. Jacob. I saw through his eyes that the fight was over in the clearing. They all headed this way, some of them trying not to believe that she was dead. The reason for their bravery and sacrifice had died anyway. Seth let out a howl of pure sorrow and it was answered by a number of other sad howls getting closer by the second. I could smell them on the wind. I smelt something else too. My family. I was totally aware of what was happening, but I refused to release my eyes from Bella's lifeless body. The blood had stopped flowing and now was a shallow pool at my feet.

As the group came into the campsite shock and horror graced everyone's face as they saw Bella in my arms. My family was especially scared to see her this way. Alice turned away and hid her face in Jasper's chest. She hadn't seen this coming. The wolves had been in the way. Esme just stared, her hands over her mouth. Carlisle came to my side as I stood, carrying Bella in my arms. He knew she was dead, but was almost shocked at her body. He was looking it over as a doctor, scrutinizing the incision and playing the image of how it happened in his head. I shied away from his thoughts. They were too real, too true. I stared walking, not wanting to stop. Carlisle put a reassuring hand on my should but I shrugged it away quickly. I wrenched my eyes open and took in the scene around me. Rosalie was staring at me with somewhat of an apology in her eyes. Emmett had one arm wrapped around her shoulders and looked at me with the same solemn gaze that everyone else seemed to share. All but one. Jacob stood in his wolf form at the end of the procession. His face held pure sorrow and a twinge of anger. He thought of nothing but insults at me, for not have taken care of her, for letting this happen to her. I passed him and walked deeper into the forest. Only Carlisle followed me.

"Edward," he said gravely, putting his hand on my shoulder again. I didn't reject him this time. He shouldn't have to endure any of the pain I felt. "I'm sorry. If there was anything we could have done..."

"I know." I interrupted. "You would have been there." It hurt to force any words out of my mouth. To try and force the air in and out of me. I just wanted to die. Even when I had wanted to die at the hands of the Volturi earlier this year, it still hadn't felt this bad. Now that I had her in my arms, dead and unmoving, I was entirely engulfed in grief. I was still taking it all in, all that had happened. It had all been so quick. What had seemed like ours had only been a few minutes. Even now the seconds ticked by so slowly that it seemed more like days. I finally gave out and fell into the snow, on my knees, head hanging. Carlisle knelt beside me and draped his arm over my shoulder. I knew I was spent. My time was done. As much as I hated to let her go, I knew I would have to eventually. I gently placed her now cold body in Carlisle's arms and stood. He seemed to understand. This time he didn't stop me. He knew I couldn't live without Bella, and this time she really was dead. He looked into my grieving eyes and I into his. He wanted to hold me back, keep me from going off to the Volturi, but he knew me too well. He didn't want me to suffer this way.

_Do what you must, but if you have any second thoughts..._

"I wont." I said. All the life in my voice had gone with Bella's last breath. I recalled her saying my name as she died. Thinking of me. A sob broke from my chest and I darted off before anyone could protest. I knew my course and knew that, if Bella had been right about my soul, I would see her again soon. I would see her beautiful rosy face, smiling and happy. She would be just as I remembered her. Unharmed and perfect in every physical way. I would see her again. If I had to fight my way into the heavens just to catch a glimpse of her, I would see her one more time.


End file.
